Tamper evident plastic food container

A tamper evident container comprising:

• a base having a base peripheral portion defining an open upper end of the base, the base peripheral portion including a base rim;
• a lid having a lid peripheral portion including a lid rim;
• a base hinge panel extending outwardly from the base rim;
• a lid hinge panel extending outwardly from the lid rim;
• a hinge pivotally connecting the base hinge panel and the lid hinge panel, the hinge extending across the base hinge panel and extending across the lid hinge panel;
• the base hinge panel extending between the base peripheral portion and the hinge, and the lid hinge panel extending between the lid peripheral portion and the hinge;
• the lid mountable to the base with the lid overlying the open upper end of the base for bringing the container to an initially sealed configuration, the initially sealed configuration defined by:
• a) interlocking engagement of the lid rim with the base rim about an entire periphery of the container, the interlocking engagement of the lid rim and the base rim being releasable and re-engageable for opening and re-closing the container;
• and b) the lid hinge panel being positioned folded over the base hinge panel thereby creating a fold comprising the lid hinge panel, the base hinge panel and the hinge;
• a frangible line dividing the fold into a first side and a second side;
• the frangible line extending:
• partially across the lid hinge panel to a first point on the lid hinge panel;
• the frangible line then extending from the first point outwardly to the hinge and then the frangible line extending across the hinge and the frangible line extending inwardly from the hinge to a second point on the base hinge panel;
• and the frangible line extending from the second point partially across the base hinge panel;
• and
• the frangible line separating upon the application of an upwardly directed force to the first side of the fold while the second side of the fold is held in a fixed position or moved downwardly.

A tamper evident container comprising:

• a base including a base rim;
• a lid including a lid rim;
• the lid mountable to the base for bringing the container to an initially sealed configuration, the initially sealed configuration effected by engagement of the lid rim with the base rim;
• a base hinge panel joined to the base rim and extending outwardly from the base rim;
• a lid hinge panel joined to the lid rim and extending outwardly from the lid rim;
• the base hinge panel having opposite first and second side edges of the base hinge panel;
• the lid hinge panel having opposite first and second side edges of the lid hinge panel;
• a hinge joining the lid hinge panel to the base hinge panel, the hinge extending across the lid hinge panel from the first side edge of the lid hinge panel to the second side edge of the lid hinge panel, and the hinge extending across the base hinge panel from the first side edge of the base hinge panel to the second side edge of the base hinge panel;
• a frangible line extending:
• from the first side edge of the lid hinge panel partially across the lid hinge panel to a first arcuate segment of the frangible line on the lid hinge panel;
• the frangible line then extending from the first arcuate segment of the frangible line outwardly to the hinge, the frangible line then extending across the hinge and the frangible line extending inwardly from the hinge to a second arcuate segment of the frangible line on the base hinge panel;
• and the frangible line extending from the second arcuate segment of the frangible line partially across the base hinge panel to the second side edge of the base hinge panel;
• and
• when the container is in the initially sealed configuration the frangible line separates upon the application of a first directed force to a first portion of the lid hinge panel while a second portion of the lid hinge panel is held in a fixed position or moved in an opposite direction of the first directed force.